Circular-knitting machine



w. E, smHl CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I0, I9I9.

Ptelltd Feb. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

31411214102 /GW @iwf W. E. SMITH.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPucATloN FILED APR.10.1919.

1,368,664, Patented Feb. 15,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- g5] ven/Lio@ 3513 ("Qu; atto/mags WILLIAV E. SMITH, OF VIlv'lilll'lllOl/*IQL Nlll JERSEY, ASSGNOR T0 THE INTERWOVEN MILLS, ENC., O3? NEW' BRUNICK, .lil JERSEY, .crt CGRPORATON 0F NEW JERSEY,

CRCULAR-KNITTNG ll'ACHNE.

Application filed April 10, 1919.

.To all wlw/HL t may conce/fn.'

Be it known that l. lVreLrAar E. Sarrieri, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milltown, in the countyT ot Middlesex and State oi' New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful lmprovenients in Circular- Knitting Machines; and l do hereby declare the Jfollowing` to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention consists in the novel 'leatures hereinafter described reference being;- had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment ot' my invention selected bj me for purposes ot illustration, and the said invention is lfully disclosed in the lollovving description and claims.

The object of invention is to provide simple mechanism 'for knitting seamless tnbnlar fabric by circular knitting` in which a vsegmental `portion of the tubular fabric may be made shorter than another segmental portion of the fabric by omitting,` partialcourses of stitches through the shorter segment of the fabric, and thereby formingY partial courses stitches in the segljnient to he lengthencd, between adjacent cirmilar courses o'l.I stitches. More speciiically, my

invention relates to a stocking' knitter andA contemplates the provision oit means whereby the top portion of the foot oil a stocking` is made shorter than the corresponding; sole portion oit` the' foot, by omitting,` partial courses of the circular knitting' through the Y in providinp mechanism whereby du ing the knitting of circular work, as in the torination ot the foot' orf the stocking those needles which knit the segmental portion or the tu hular fabric 'forming' the top ol' the toot are, at predetermined times, preventedgtrom forming stitches with the main knitting thread, which is supplied to all the needles, and preterably by placing such needles in an inoperative position with respect to the knitting; cam or cams therefor and -teething Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Serial No. 288,934.

the thread thereto below the latches there/ol", so that when theneedles are again operated normally ior the drawing;` of a stitch, they will cast olf the thread delivered to them below their latches, thus throwing it to the center. oi the tube where it forms a l'loat and is subsequently cut out, thus eliminat ing or omitting` a certain number of partial courses from that segment of the-*tubular fabric which forms the top of the Jtoot of the stocking.

En the accompanying drawings,

Figure l represents a partial sectional view el a stockingf knitter of the type known as the Banner machine, in which I have contemplatedy embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a pla-n view .of a cam ring ot such machine as it would appear if cut and spread out in a plane, and showing the cams for raising` and lowering certain of the needles of the circular series into and out of inoperative position with respect to the knitting cam, said raising and lowering cams being; illustrated in their lowest positions.

Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 2 showing" the raising and lowering cams for said needles in their raised positions.

Fig. isa front view 0i' the cam ring detached, showing` the operating mechanism 'for the raising' and lowering cams.

Fig'. 5 represents a. partial sectional view showing the relation of the raising and lowering' cams to the long nib needles operated thereby.

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustratingl one form of pattern mechanism for controlling the operation of the raising and lowering cams during circula-r work.

7 is a diagrannnatic view represent ing the different 4relative positions ol the long and short nib needles during- `circular work when afpartial course is to be omitted Ylrom a segment of the'tubular fabric and the position of the main knitting' thread as it is fed to said needles.

Fig. S is 'a diagrammatic view oi' a stockingproduced by the mechanism shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 9 represents diagrammatically the circular series or needles and illustrates the manner in which the main knitting thread is :ted and knit thereby during the produc tion ol circular and partial courses during 1 leg and the sole lci? the foot, and which are employed during reciprocating .vork to knit the heel and loe pockets in a Wellknown manner by narrowing and Widening, and which are provided with short nibs indicated at 2a. v.The needleV cylinder isprovided with a horizontal gear 10a which is Vdriven by gear 11 in the usual manner torotate the cylinder and the needles carried thereby Within a non-rotatable cam ring 12,

which is provided with the usual knitting cam indicated at13 in Figs. l, 2, The arrows in Figs. 2, 3 illustrate theV direction orn travel oliV the needle cylinder and needles with respect to the cam ring 12.

The cam ring 12 is provided in advance of the knitting cam 13v and preferably atthe front of the machine, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with anelevating cam'15, and a depressing cam 16 carried on a vertically movable slide 14 supported and guided in the cam 12, the cams 15 and 16 being so located that they engage only the long nibs oi' the needles 1 and do notengage the short nibs ofthe needles 2. The slide 14 and the cams 15, 1G are raised at the commencement of reciprocating Work and depressed at the conclusion of the reciprocating work, in making the heel or toe pocket, and to effect this operation, I have shown a bell crank lever pivoted at 18 and provided With an arm 19 having a slot in its outer end engaging a'pin 2O on the slide 14,v said bellv crank lever having an arm 21 carrying a pin 22 which is engaged by a slot 23 inV a link 24 connected with an actuating arm 25 which is moved by ca-m'mechanism (not shown) for the purpose of raising the slide 14s() as to bring the cam 15 into posi tion to engage the long nibs of the needles 1 and raise them out of operative relation with the knitting cam 13 during reciprocating Work. in a ,vell known Way, so that these needles 1 shall hold their stitches dur` ing the `formation of the heel and toe pocket.

V At the conclusion of reciprocating Work, the

arm 25 is caused to move in thefopposite direction, thereby releasing the pina22 and the slide 14 is drawn down to its normal position Vbyrineans of a spring 26 connected with the bell crank arm 21 to enable'the cam 16 to engage the long nibsla of the needles 1 andrestore the needles 1 to operative relay tionwith-the main knitting cani 13 `for cir- Vcular Work. During reciprocating Work in Will beV understood that the heel and toe pockets will be narrowed and widened in the usual manner by meansof pickers (not shown) which, however, torni noV part of my present invention7 and will not therefore be particularly illustrated or described. It Will be seen that the bell crank lever when released by the link 24 and arm 25 is in such position that it may be independently operated either by hand or by suitable mechanism provided therefor to raise and lorver or permit the lowering olf the slide 14 and its cams 15, 1G during circular Work. For this purpose I prefer toprovide suitable mechanism controlled by the pattern mechanism or' the machine, and in this instance l have shown a link 30 pivoted at one end to the arm 21 of the vbell crank lever and at the other end to an actuating arm 31 on a rock shaft 32, which is actuated in one direction at the beginning of a circular course'of knitting to raise the slide 14 and is actuated in: the opposite direction at the conclusion oi. the circular course under the control of patern mechanism. For example, in Fig. 6 I have shown a pattern Wheel 34 provided with projections 35 disposed at predetermined positions thereon, for actuating the arm 33 connected with the rock shaft 32 to raise the slide 14 and hold it raised during a single circular course, that is to say, during a single revolution of the cylinder 10.v and to permit the slide 14 toV be restored to its lowest position by its spring 26 at the conclusion of said revolution. This illustrathe partial courses knit as hereinafter described in one segment of the fabric, as may be desired, throughk the length of such circular knit fabric as the toot of a stocking. so thatthey may be thrown in at any dcsired interval, or may be grouped at one or two or more points, as may be desired.

In the operation otmy improved machine,

vinthe knitting of aA stocking such illustrated., for example, in 3, the'slide 14 being in its lowest position, the ribbed top indicated at A. in Fig. 8, is'applied to the circular series of needles in the usual manner if a mans hose is to be knit, and the leg portion B is knit by circular knitting with a single thread, which may be one `thread or a plurality of threads V:led as one' thread to all of the needles. l desired, a rfantorcing thread may be thrown 1n at the `lli() courses, etc., for the purpose of distributing y back of the leg above the heel at the point indicated at F, to form what is termed the high splice, or such reinforcing thread may be omitted as desired. Circular knitting proceeds down to the point indicated by the dotted line 6--78, when the slide 14 is raised by the actuating arm 25 to bring the cam 15 into the path of the long nibs 1EL of the needles 1, and elevate all of the long nib needles out of operative relation of the knitting cam 13 while the needle cylinder is reciprocatedor oscillated in-V stead of being rotated, and the thread, which may be the main knittingthread or a different heel thread is supplied only to the needles 2 during reciprocating-work, certain ofthe needles 2 at each side being thrown successively out of operation to produce narrowing andv then `restored to operative position successively to produce widening, by means of suitable pickers (not shown) in the usual and well. known manner, to form the heel pocket D. The actuating arin 25 is them moved to release the bell crank arm 21 and the spring 26 restores the slide 14 to its lowest position, bringing the draw-down cani 16 into position to engage the long nibs 1 of the needles 1, and restore them to operative relation with the knitting cam 13, at which time circular knitting is again resumed, and the main knitting thread is fed to all the needles circularly to form circular courses of stitches. In order to make the upper portion C of the foot of the stocking shorter than the lower portion C', certain partial courses of stitches are omitted in the upper part C of the foot, and this is accomplished. either by hand or under the control. of the pattern mechanism, by elevating the slide 14 at the commencement of a circular course of knitting, thereby bringing the cam 15 in position to engage the long nibs 1 of the needles 1 and elevate theininto inoperative position with respect to the knitting cam, as indicated in l3`ig. 'r'. while the needles 2 remain in operative position withrespect to the knitting cam. As the main knitting thread, indicated at 3" with which the preceding circular course of stitches was knit, is fed to all the needles` as it is of necessity during circular work, it will. be fed to the needles 1 below the latches thereof, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus causing the needles 2 to knit a partial course, and preventing the formation of stitches on the needles 1, thus omitting a partial course from the top of the foot C. At the termination of this revolution of the cylinder, the slide 14n is restored to normal position by its spring 26 (or by hand). and the cam 16 will restore all the needles 1 to operative relation with the knitting cam before they reach the knitting cam. as the needles l descend into operative position, they receive the thread for tbe next course, in their hooks, and are operated by the knitting canaV will pass over the latches and over the tops ofthe needles, and will `pass to the interior of the needle cylinder and extend across the same as a float, which is afterward cut out'. The thread is also fed to the needles 2 during this revolution, so as to form a circular course of stitches upon the partial course, andthe portion off the `preceding circular course not engaged by the stitches of the partial course. f

It willthus be seenthat every time the slide 14C is raised during circular work the needles 2 will knit a partial course through the sole of the foot, the other part of the course being omitted through the top of the foot, thus making the top portion of the foot, `shorter than the corresponding sole,

the sole as atV C2 and C3 or both, according'v to the desire of the manufacturer, it being only necessary to provide pattern mechanism which will raise and lower the slide 14, `at the proper intervals during circularl knitting. In Fig. 9 I have shown diagrammaticaly the needles 1 and 2, the operation of the main knitting thread forming the complete circular courses, indicated at 3, and that forming the partial course being indicated at 3, rIhe portion of the main knitting thread` forming the floats is indicated at 3, the floats being afterward cut away, as indicated at 3 by dotted lines.

It will be noted that in the resulting tubular fabric Vproduced by circular knitting and containing circular and partial courses, all of the courses whether circular or partial are knit with the same thread, and therefore presententire uniformity in knitting and in the manner in which they take the dye. Y My invention also provides for theV manufacture of stockings having the upper part of the footshorter than the lower part, either without-the necessity of introducing an extra thread through the sole of the foot, although such eXtra thread may be introduced as a reinforcing thread, in the usual manner if desired. After forming the foot of the stocking, the toe pocket E willjbe knit in the usual manner by reciprocating work and narrowing and widening, and the stocking will be completed by cutting out the iioats 3",n and by joining the upper edge of the toe pocket to the outer edge of the top portion Cof the foot by means of looping, as at c, in the usual and wellknown manner.

It is obvious that the pattern mechanism may be so constructed as to hold up the raising and depressing cams 15, 16 during two or more revolutions of thecylinder before permitting it to return to normal position, so as toknit two or more partial courses between adjacent circular courses, if it should be desired to do so. In practice, however, it will be found more desirable to vform only a single partial course between adjacent circularV courses and Vto distribute these partial courses at any desired intervals along the circular knit fabric. 1.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letn ters Patent is :-U

l. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with aV circular series of needles,

and stitch forming mechanism adapted to actuate each needle of the series once during circular work, means ior feeding a thread circularly t0 all of said needles during cir-` cular work, and means operable during circular work for moving a group of consecutive needles for knitting a segment of the tube, out or" engagement with the stitch forming mechanism, during a single course,

rand for returning them to operative relationV with the stitch forming mechanism for the knitting of the next adjacent course, whereby partial courses may be omitted intermittently between circular courses in Ya segment Y of the tube, to make it shorter than the other portions of the tube.

2. In a stocking knitter, the combination with a circular series of needles, including a segmental group for knitting the frontof the leg and top of the foot-of the stocking,

and a segmental group for knitting the back of the leg, and heel, sole and toe, stitch form ing mechanism for actuating each needle of the series once during a circular course during circular knitting, means for moving the first mentioned group of needles out of operative relation with the stitch forming mechanism during a single course of circular work in the foot of the stocking, and for re-V wit-ha circular series of needles, including al segmental group for knitting the rontf of the leg and top Vot the foot of the stocking, and a segmentalgroup for knitting the back of the leg, and heel, sole and'toe, stitch forming mechanism VJior actuating cach needle of the series once during a circularV course during circular knitting, means for moving the first mentioned group of needles out of operative relation with the stitch formingVv mechanism, during reciprocatingV work'tor knitting the heel and toe, and for restoring them to normal position at the conclusion 'of reciprocatingwork, and auxl iliaryl actuating mechanism for said means,

for operating said means intermittently be-V tween the Jformation or" circular courses or Il. In a circular stockinor knitter the com long nib needles and movingthem into and out of inoperative'position, said cam mechanism being normally in inoperative posi! tion, and means for bringing said cani mechanism into operative position during-reci-pfl rocating work, for holdingsaid front group oi needles in inoperative position, off inde' pendent means for moving said cam mechanism into and out of operative position dui'- ing a single course of Vcircular work, Vwhereby tlie formation of stitches on the front needles will be prevented, and a partial course will Abe formed on the remaining needles, between adjacent circular courses.

5. In a circular stocking knitter, theconr bination with a series of needles, and stitch forming mechanism adapted to actuate each needle- `ot` the series once during circular work, a segmental group of consecutive needles which knit the front of the leg and top of the foot being provided with a longer nib than the needles for knitting the back of the leg and sole, heel and toe, means lfor feeding a thread circularly. to all of said needlesV during circular work, raising and loweringV cams for engaging saidelong nib needlesa vertically movable slide, means oroperating said slide during reciprocating work, `for holding the front segment of needles out of operative position, auxiliary Vmeans for actuating said slide to move said cams into and out of operative position'during a course of circular work, whereby the formation of stitches on the front segment of needles is prevented and a partial course is formed on the remaining needlesbetween adjacent circular courses.

` 6. In a circular stocking knittenthe combination with a series of needles, and stitch forming mechanism adapted to ractuate each needle of the "series once during circular work, a segmental group of consecutive fashion iis izo

needles which knit the front ofthe legand Y top of the foot being provided with a longer nib than the needles for knitting the back of the leg and sole, heel and toe, mean'sfor feeding a thread crenlally to all of said needles during ol'eular Work, raising and lowering cams for engaging said long` nib needles, a slide eafryng said cams, aetuating mechanism 'for said slide, operable during l'eoprocatng Work, and including a slotted part permitting independent movement of the cam Slide, auxiliary means operable during circular Wol'k for actuating said slide to move said cams into and ont of operative position during a single course of Circular knitting, whereby the formation of stitches on the front needles s prevented and a partial course of stitches is formed on the rear needles between adj aoent circular courses.

In testnnony whereof I ax my slgnatule.

` WILLIAM E. SMITH. 

